As soon as she entered the dormitory lobby, Ning Chu spotted Wen Yang through the glass doors from a distance.
And those shameless women surrounding him!
She stopped in her tracks, quickly putting on the jacket Lily had provided, and tidied her hair to fix any mess caused by her hurried dash earlier, ensuring her feminine appearance remained intact.
"Why am I even so concerned about my looks? It's just a casual outing with Wen Yang," she muttered to herself, pausing in confusion.
They say that in front of someone you like, regardless of gender, people become more conscious of their appearance.
Especially during the ambiguous stage of a relationship…
A hint of gloom flashed across Ning Chu's face. She shook her head, dispelling the nonsensical and far-fetched thoughts from her mind.
What mattered now was dealing with those clingy women around Wen Yang.
Seeing Wen Yang retreating timidly under the pressure of those women infuriated her!
Why couldn't he just tell them off?
If your standards are low enough, even the most persistent girls can be scared away with harsh words!
Shoving the dormitory doors open, she strode forward with an air of authority, her face cold as she pushed aside the girl in front of her. "Move."
"?"
The girl turned around, staring at her in confusion.
"He's got plans with me. Stop pestering him."
The girl gave her a quick once-over and then dismissed her entirely, continuing to inch closer to Wen Yang excitedly. "Wen Yang! Can we have dinner together tonight?"
Ning Chu's expression grew strained.
Watching those women practically throw themselves at Wen Yang made her lose her temper. She started shoving aside anyone in her way, much rougher this time, and marched straight up to him, drawing complaints from all sides.
"Hey! We were here first!"
"Who does she think she is?"
Wen Yang looked down at Ning Chu awkwardly, managing a feeble smile. "I couldn't run with my injured leg…"
Dressed in feminine attire, Ning Chu looked far more dazzling and beautiful than usual. Just one glance at her made his heart skip a beat.
Ning Chu glanced at him from the corner of her eye, grabbed his hand, and dragged him away without a word.
"Hey! Don't leave! Let go of Wen Yang!"
The persistent cries from behind only fueled her irritation. She turned her head and shouted, "Scram! Stop being annoying!"
"Where are your manners?"
Her face flushed with anger as she glared at one of the women, only for the girl to glare back, equally defiant.
"And who are you, anyway? Dragging him away without saying a word!"
"I'm his…" Ning Chu glanced at her current outfit, hesitating to say she was just his dorm mate. In her frustration, she decided to double down. "I'm his girlfriend! Got a problem with that?"
That shut the girl up. Mumbling something under her breath, she turned and left, visibly dejected.
Wen Yang was just as stunned, allowing himself to be dragged out of the dormitory area to a quiet corner nearby.
Once they stopped, Ning Chu immediately let go of his hand and cleared her throat. "Don't get the wrong idea. I just didn't want you stuck dealing with those girls for too long."
"Uh… okay."
Worried that she might have come across as overly aggressive, Ning Chu quickly adjusted her outfit, turning her head to avoid Wen Yang's gaze. She brushed aside her bangs, trying to divert attention with a complaint. "What's with those crazy women? They're acting like lovesick maniacs…"
"They're completely unhinged! Anyone would think you're some kind of big celebrity."
As Ning Chu continued to rant, Wen Yang nodded along, his eyes subtly drifting over her feminine attire.
The short skirt revealed her long legs, and the black thigh-high stockings made them look even more slender and elegant. The small strip of skin between the stockings and the skirt—the "absolute territory"—was particularly eye-catching. The leg bands she wore created slight indentations, emphasizing the fullness of her thighs.
Her upper body… well, it was flat. Her jacket obscured her waistline, leaving little to assess.
The clothes were chosen based on a high school student Wen Yang had met during tutoring sessions. While that student filled out the shirt quite generously, Ning Chu barely managed a slight curve.
A minor regret.
Still, it was a small flaw that could be addressed later. No big deal.
"Are you even listening to me?" Ning Chu turned back, only to catch Wen Yang staring at her absentmindedly.
Her face flushed pink, and she glared at him fiercely before turning away, striding toward the campus gate. "What are you staring at? Let's go!"
"Alright."
Wen Yang quickly fell into step beside her, his heartbeat racing and cheeks slightly warm.
There was a subtle joy blooming in his chest, a giddy excitement that clouded his thoughts and made him lightheaded. He was certain this wasn't just the typical shyness from close contact with a girl.
He had been around many beautiful girls before, but only Ning Chu made him feel this way.
Perhaps… this was love?
Ning Chu tried her best to calm herself, but after just a few steps, she felt her hand being firmly grasped.
She instinctively tried to shake him off, but after a few unsuccessful attempts, she glanced up at Wen Yang in surprise. However, his tender, affectionate gaze made her lower her head immediately, avoiding eye contact.
Fine. Whatever. It's not the first time…
If he wanted to hold hands, then so be it. As long as Zhang Shaoqing or Wang Jie didn't see them, it'd be fine.
With a sigh, Ning Chu was walking out the school gate when a realization struck her.
"Wait a minute. Weren't we supposed to go shopping with Xinya and Lily?" She turned around and looked behind her. "Where are they?"
"Maybe something came up, and they couldn't make it," Wen Yang suggested casually.
"But…"
It was supposed to be four of them going shopping! Now she was here dressed up in a skirt, holding hands with Wen Yang, while the wolf girl and Lily were nowhere in sight…
How had it ended up just the two of them?
Feeling increasingly uneasy, Ning Chu suggested, "Maybe we should go back to the dorms? There's really nothing much to shop for, anyway."
"Let's keep going. We might run into classmates if we hang around here too long."
Her face turned pale at the thought, and she hurriedly pulled Wen Yang toward the street outside the school.
If any classmates saw them like this, rumors about her being Wen Yang's girlfriend would spread like wildfire!
How would she even survive in the dorm after that?
"Where are we going?"
"Let's grab a cab to the shopping district."
"Isn't that far?" Ning Chu, still trying to find an excuse to call off this inexplicable outing, asked suspiciously, "Do you even have money for a cab?"
Wen Yang smiled and nodded. "I do. While you were napping at noon, I borrowed some from Shaoqing."
"You're the one who told me, remember? 'If you're out of money, borrow from Shaoqing.'"
Ning Chu weakly protested, "It's not great to borrow money, though."
"I've got tutoring work this weekend, no worries. It's for that same kid from last time," Wen Yang reassured her calmly. "And it's not far—I checked. The cab ride is just thirty."
"…"
Standing by the roadside outside the school, Ning Chu looked utterly defeated.
Judging by Wen Yang's eager demeanor, this outing was clearly a date in his eyes.
The guy had even borrowed money in advance and probably planned out the whole afternoon to perfection.
Feeling uneasy, she asked, "We're just going shopping, right?"
"I also got us movie tickets," Wen Yang replied with a grin.
Ning Chu: ….I knew it!